Science fiction at its heart is about exploring the most basic human fears through metaphor and narrative slight of hand. And there are fewer more basic fears at the heart of most people than the animal terror of death, and the fear of being replaced or proven unnecessary in any aspect of our lives. In Swan Song, writer-director Benjamin Cleary sets out to explore these existential terrors, through a simple enough story of love, grief, and pain.

The premise of Swan Song begins simply enough, with Cameron Turner (Mahershala Ali), a professional artist with a young son and a new baby on the way, learning he has a terminal illness. His wife  Poppy (Naomie Harris), has already suffered tragedy in her life, and the drifting distance between them has only recently began to close again. Left facing his own end, and the destruction and pain this will cause to his loved ones Cameron seeks out a strange alternative to despair. He delves into a new technology that will allow him to secretly replace himself with a healthy clone, leaving his family none the wiser about his condition and impending end. Only when he is tangibly confronted with the reality of a living doppelganger, the moral and emotional implications begin to spiral out of control, and Cameron’s beliefs, needs, and wants are all tested.

One of the strangest choices in Swan Song is that the film opens with an amusing anecdote borrowed from the pen of Douglas Adams, based on a well-told real life experience he had, and later written into one of his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy novels (although ironically, there is some doubt whether he is the true originator of this story). Add this to the thematic and occasional visual similarities to various films and TV shows including Ex Machina, and several episodes of Black Mirror; and it gives the whole an impression of being, for want of a better word, a copy. If the film was more clearly meta in its aims, then it could be assumed this was intentional. However, as read it plays more like pilfering than homage, which unfortunately sours the experience slightly.

It’s a doubly unfortunate souring, as Swan Song is a legitimately good film. Ali’s central performances as both Cameron and his replacement clone “Jack”, both feel realistic and plausible. He’s the emotional centrepiece in what is at times a remarkably subtle and understated group of performances. But every actor in the film is acting out their own miniature study in grief. With Harris’ turns in despondent detachment, offset against Awkwafina‘s unmistakably likeable and upbeat turn as a fellow terminally ill patient at the clone-facility, helping Cameron through the emotional rollercoaster he is trapped on.

It’s also a remarkably beautiful experience, shot expertly by cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi. This paired with Jay Wadley‘s stripped back, almost Philip Glass-like minimalist soundtrack. capturing a creepily pristine and strangely cold view of the near future, in keeping with the sombre tone of much of the story. Credit must also go to Cleary for the subtle simplicity of the futuristic world building, with the simple introduction of vendor-bots, driverless taxis and contact lenses replacing the use of TV screens and monitors. At once both wholly familiar and plausibly acceptable as a believable reality only a few years away.

Still, underneath it all this is a very human and relatable story, balanced deftly all round, and ultimately in the hands of a moving and solid performance by Mahershala Ali; once again proving himself one of the great actors of his generation.

Available now on Apple tv+